Gem's Seven Things

Before you go and look at this, remember that Gem writes in what might be termed a certain "literary genre" - very forthright and blunt - and read it in that context!

I like a number of the seven things that she would like to happen. Numbers 1 through 6 all get a thumbs up from me in their essential substance. I think no.8 - reducing the number of "options" available in the Ordinary Form - is something that really should be looked at as part of the "mutual enrichment" of the two forms of the Roman Rite. Some options have a substantial content and value (the different Eucharistic Prayers, particularly Eucharistic Prayer 4, to give one example), while others have rather less real content and value (alternative forms of Penitential rite). And as far as no.13 goes, the development of a devotional life (in the technical sense) alongside the strictly Liturgical life of a parish seems to me essential for proper participation in the Liturgy. That is the space where one can legitimately adapt ... And no.5 - Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation and so should be "unconditional" in its availability to the faithful (assuming, of course, a basic level of good will towards the sacrament). It is not a sacrament of vocation - so setting up hoops like insisting that young people write a letter explaining why they want to receive the sacrament is a bit of a nonsense.